5 ms·

I'm not a Windows licensing expert, but this is basically how it works: 1. You can't use the OEM license with retail installation media. 2. You don't get OEM

I'm not a Windows licensing expert, but this is basically how it works: 1. You can't use the OEM license with retail installation media. 2. You don't get OEM installation media because the license is tied to the hardware. 3. The OEM recovery media can't be restored to different hardware. 4. The OEM license key can't be used to install a retail Windows install on a different computer.

bitL 9y ago
Simply wonderful! ReactOS is really needed...
- xenophonf 9y ago
  I feel you. It really sucks that ASUS's recovery media doesn't let you replace or upgrade your memory or storage. Those are user-serviceable parts, IMO.
  - bitL 9y ago
    I am not sure if ASUS won't allow it by principle, but Eee PC 901 was using odd SSDs based on Mini PCIe with the same form-factor as mSATA SSD, but different electric circuitry, so regular mSATA drives couldn't work and you had to get an adapter converting mini PCIe into mSATA first. And once you plugged it in, primary master disappeared, so I guess that's what confused recovery media. They likely couldn't predict the future of SSD interfaces and were using some early prototypes before standardization.
newsbinator 9y ago
It's a strange situation when a Windows licensing expert is actually a thing.
- xenophonf 9y ago
  Commercial software licensing has always been a PITA, especially at the enterprise level. I just thank sweet baby Jesus every day I don't have to deal with IBM or Oracle.
  - newsbinator 9y ago
    There must be a chart somewhere that shows customer lifetime value vs. churn vs. licensing complexity. At some low number of customers, the more complex you make your licensing, the fewer people buy and the fewer people renew, and since piracy is roughly zero anyway, you make your licensing simple. Then something magical happens somewhere in the middle, where either piracy becomes scarier or your customers are more locked into your ecosystem. Then the more complex you make your licensing, for some reason the more profit you can get out of your customers. It must be this way, otherwise we'd have no way to account for MS/Oracle/IBM. I wonder where the crossover points on the chart are. * How much piracy do you take before you make your licensing a nightmare? * How "enterprise" do you have to go before you stop worrying that making your software a massive pain to install and upgrade won't bleed your customers away?
- wiseleo 9y ago
  If you think that's bad, you can get Microsoft Certified Professional certified on licensing. On at least 3 separate exams. I am certified on licensing.

bitL 9y ago

Simply wonderful! ReactOS is really needed...

xenophonf 9y ago
I feel you. It really sucks that ASUS's recovery media doesn't let you replace or upgrade your memory or storage. Those are user-serviceable parts, IMO.
- bitL 9y ago
  I am not sure if ASUS won't allow it by principle, but Eee PC 901 was using odd SSDs based on Mini PCIe with the same form-factor as mSATA SSD, but different electric circuitry, so regular mSATA drives couldn't work and you had to get an adapter converting mini PCIe into mSATA first. And once you plugged it in, primary master disappeared, so I guess that's what confused recovery media. They likely couldn't predict the future of SSD interfaces and were using some early prototypes before standardization.

newsbinator 9y ago

It's a strange situation when a Windows licensing expert is actually a thing.

xenophonf 9y ago
Commercial software licensing has always been a PITA, especially at the enterprise level. I just thank sweet baby Jesus every day I don't have to deal with IBM or Oracle.
- newsbinator 9y ago
  There must be a chart somewhere that shows customer lifetime value vs. churn vs. licensing complexity. At some low number of customers, the more complex you make your licensing, the fewer people buy and the fewer people renew, and since piracy is roughly zero anyway, you make your licensing simple. Then something magical happens somewhere in the middle, where either piracy becomes scarier or your customers are more locked into your ecosystem. Then the more complex you make your licensing, for some reason the more profit you can get out of your customers. It must be this way, otherwise we'd have no way to account for MS/Oracle/IBM. I wonder where the crossover points on the chart are. * How much piracy do you take before you make your licensing a nightmare? * How "enterprise" do you have to go before you stop worrying that making your software a massive pain to install and upgrade won't bleed your customers away?
wiseleo 9y ago
If you think that's bad, you can get Microsoft Certified Professional certified on licensing. On at least 3 separate exams. I am certified on licensing.